ABSTRACT
Class struggle is a broad concept, but at its base tries to describe the conflict between opposing groups in a community resulting from different social or economic positions and reflecting different interests. For critical development theorists from various schools of thought on the Left, class struggle is at the root of the development process. Latin America is a particularly suitable region in which to study the role of unions and class struggle in the development process due to its relatively early and high rate of industrialization. The situation of labor in Latin America during the neoliberal era parallels that of other Anglo-American countries, which also experienced declining union density, interest in joining labor unions and loss of labor's political influence. For neoclassical and neoliberal economists, trade unions are viewed as a kind of job cartel organized by workers who conspire to raise the price of labor through collective bargaining.
